Forget those typical school rom-coms that drag out empty conflicts for entire seasons, because Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? arrives to shatter that rule. This series delivers a story where the characters genuinely matter and steers completely clear of the genre’s endless clichés.
The protagonist, Takuya Seo, breaks the mold of the classic passive loser by presenting himself as a kind young man who isn’t afraid to share his passion for otaku culture. He is a protagonist with such good luck that he ends up with two popular gyarus giving him all their attention in his own bedroom. This vulnerability and honesty allow him to forge a very real bond with both girls.
For her part, Amane pretends to be a cold and unreachable beauty, when in secret, she is a die-hard fan of the Glittermon series. It is very funny to see her walking through specialty shops carrying bags full of merchandise while using the worn-out excuse that it is all a gift for her little sister. When that “tough girl” facade falls away and reveals her true level of fandom, it creates a contrast in her personality that is legendary for viewers.
Kotoko Ijichi brings a totally different energy, being an extremely extroverted and perceptive young woman who doesn’t hesitate to save Takuya’s life by retrieving his forgotten textbook. Her true lethal weapon appears at close range when she lowers her voice, adopting a seductive tone to lean in and whisper directly into his ear. The interactions between them are so full of chemistry that she even makes up words while taking photos together to further shorten the physical distance.
Unfortunately, the extreme friendship and physical closeness between both gals attracted the yuri community, sparking strong demands for romance between the female leads. Fortunately, the fandom ignored this toxic part of the community that cannot differentiate between a healthy friendship between girls and yuri-bait, as the work clearly moves toward a heterosexual love triangle. Annihilating the cheap drama of other series, these three characters sit down to talk about their problems to break down their personal barriers by truly communicating. The triangle works so well that the fandom unanimously demands a polyamorous ending where all three end up together. The community has adopted a comical stance of demanding a threesome or rioting as an unbreakable rule, as it is literally impossible to choose just one girl without ruining the perfect dynamic of the story though. In my personal opinion, Kotoko is the winner.
Regarding the technical side, the studio injects new blood with a vibrant color palette and surprising animation that stands out for its spectacular close-ups from Takuya’s visual perspective. These shots are millimetrically designed to convey the overwhelming pressure of having two spectacular, beautiful gyarus offering their total attention.
The music is also a major high point because they brought in the global K-pop group (G)I-DLE to perform the opening theme titled “HIDE AND SEEK.” The entire cast dances in an impeccable choreography where Ijichi’s small movements at the start of the intro are hypnotic for fans. As if that were not enough, episode six lands a master stroke of nostalgia by closing with an absolute tribute to 80s music, presenting a new version of the legendary male anthem “Plastic Love,” performed by Yu Serizawa, the voice actress for Kotoko herself.
This is a heartwarming work about losing the fear of your hobbies and showing who you really are to others. You can start watching it right now on Crunchyroll and Prime Video, with new episodes every Wednesday. I assure you that getting hooked will be inevitable.
#TeamKotoko
Great review, I’m waiting for it to finish so I can watch it all
Another one to watch on Wednesdays! Thank You! Also, love the review! Always a great read.
So that’s why they end es ep6 with that song. This is by far the show of the season. Can’t wait for it to continue developing. Maybe bring someone else in to make the trio’s dynamic difficult or change it in an interesting form.
I’ll just say it will get more interesting.